During the last decade, a dramatic change in consumer eating patterns has been observed. Longer working hours, changing family structures and the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle are all factors that have influenced food purchasing decisions. As a result, consumers typically seek out foods that taste fresh, require minimal preparation time, can be microwaved, are conveniently packaged, and/or are portable.
The use of baking is a food process well known to food manufacturers as a preparation vehicle for foods that meet the aforementioned characteristics. For example, the baking industry which typically manufactures cupcakes, cookies, and bars, has experienced phenomenal growth as consumers now incorporate these baked foods during their eating occasions. In fact, the snack food industry, which originated in the baking industry, is prospering due to the sales of foods that are fresh-tasting, conveniently-packaged and portable.
Yeast-leavened bread products undergo yeast leavening, which is a fermentation process that depends on factors such as yeast viability, temperature, pH, starch concentration, and/or moisture. By controlling each of these factors the quality of the product is less variable from one day to the next. Many different fillings have been used in yeast-leavened bread products such as tomato sauces, cheese sauces, peanut butter, jams, jellies, or creams, and many different textural properties abound within the bread portion of the yeast-leavened bread products. Often an unleavened dough product is used in dough-based food products rather than a yeast-leavened bread product, but the goal is to produce a high-quality food product that has a fresh and homemade feel to it, which appeals to the consumers' tastes.